Echoes Of The Past
by BLACKLACEY
Summary: Been trying to work this out for a while, thought I would submit chapter one and see how it goes, not exactly sure how it will work out or how long it will take so please bear with me. Rating as M to be on the safe side as the story goes on. Kudos JK
1. Chapter 1

ECHOES OF THE PAST.

CHAPTER ONE.

Ugh! Muggle Money. Surprisingly, there were a few things that turned Lucius Malfoy's stomach and Muggle Money was one of them. All that disgusting paper, passed through, Merlin knows, how many filthy Muggle Hands. At least with Gold you knew what you had, you could see the evidence of your wealth and best of all, it was untouched by Filthy Muggles. Did these creatures know they smelt so bad? He wondered as he sat in the Muggle Bank in London where he kept his Muggle Money. I t was ironic that unfortunately, If one wanted to invest in The Muggle Stock Market one had to use Muggle Money. Fortunately Lucius didn't have to actually touch the stuff himself, he left that to Sidney Cole in who's office he was now seated , trying to ignore the out and out curious glances of the two secretary's seated to his left.

"Mr Malfoy? Mr Cole will see you now." Announced Cole's Personal Assistant Belinda.

Lucius stood up and regally swept past the two secretary's looking haughtily down his nose as he did so.

"What's his story?" Tori Saunders whispered to Alison.

Alison Bryant suppressed a giggle. "Lucius Malfoy." She whispered to Tori. "Wierdo or what? Can you believe he actually goes out dressed like that, and that hair!"

"I think it suits him, and as for the clothes just because you are a complete Bond Street Fashion Victim Ali it doesn't mean everyone else wants to be."

"God! You fancy him"

"I do not! I just think it's brave of him not to care what anyone else thinks about him. Besides, don't you think he's attractive in a kooky kind of way?"

Alison pretended to be sick and Tori shook her head.

"Don't you two have any work to be getting on with." Snapped Belinda as she entered reception, catching the end of their conversation. "And I will thank you both not to discuss Mr Cole's most wealthy client in such a derogatory manor. Victoria! Go and fetch coffee for Mr Malfoy and Mr Cole."

Tori gave Alison a guilty glance and went to the small kitchen to make coffee.

Pushing down the handle of Mr Cole's office with her elbow and stepping inside Tori could see they were plainly discussing a recent successful investment that had been beneficial for both men. Sidney Cole looked up at her sharply. "Don't you knock girl?" He asked angrily. As Tori was holding a tray, it must have been clear to him that knocking would have been slightly difficult. Lucius Malfoy looked around at her and studied her closely. Mr Cole's reprimand and Lucius Malfoy's appraisal flustered her and she deposited the tray rather clumsily onto the table the coffee spilled from the pot onto the tray and Mr Cole waved her angrily away. "Stupid Girl."

Tori's anger flared as she turned to leave the office and suddenly without warning the coffee pot lifted slightly into the air and poured itself all over the lap of Sidney Cole.

Lucius looked on in shock and mild amusement as Cole shrieked loudly jumping up from his chair, soaked with hot coffee, turning to look at the back of the departing secretary Lucius smiled slightly. Did she know? He wondered.

What a Day! She kicked her heels off and pulled her long black hair free from the constriction of the silver slide that had held it in place all day as she walked through the door of her tiny flat her hair tumbled in waves over her shoulders and she threw herself down on the sofa expelling the annoyance of the day in a loud sigh. If Tori didn't need the money she would love to tell Snotty Sid where he could stick his stinking job. She had worked there for two months and it felt like two years. When he had interviewed her for the job he had sat opposite her and patted her knee and more or less indicated that if she was nice to him he would be nice to her. As far as Tori was concerned she was nice to him, just not the kind of nice he wanted. She knew for sure he was screwing around behind his wife's back with Belinda the Boot. [As Ali called her!] Tori had even heard them at it in the ladies toilet one afternoon.

"Can you believe that arse accused me of pouring coffee over him Kala." She asked curling up on the sofa and pulling her Cat onto her lap. "I wasn't even near him." Kala looked at her with understanding emerald eyes which were almost the same colour as her own and purred contentedly as Tori cuddled her.

_There were trees and a gentle rain was falling, she looked behind her and saw the huge dark outline of the house "Daddy?" She asked. Her Mother looked down at her and put a finger to her lips and even though Tori was only five she could recognize the fear in her mothers face and sense it in her touch. Suddenly! They were running, her mother almost pulling her off her feet, she was trying to run but her little legs were tired. All of a sudden her father was there, Daddy!. She wanted to run to him but her mother was holding her hand so tight it was hurting._

"_Give her to me you bitch!" Her Fathers Voice was strange and Tori felt a little frightened._

"_You will have to kill me first." Said her mother._

"_That can be arranged." Her father replied._

Tori sat bolt upright in bed. Stupid Dream! The sweat drenched her body and she wanted to cry. She rested her head on her knees and hugged herself. She wished she could remember what happened afterwards but she couldn't.

Kala sidled up beside her and snuggled in to her side. Tori settled herself back down in her bed and soon fell asleep again.

That same night in his elegant study in Malfoy Manor Lucius thought about Tori. It did happen now and again in their world, an undiscovered Witch or Wizard, sometimes the Muggle Parents refused to accept or believe that their child had magical talents and would scorn all attempts at contact from The Ministry Of Magic or a Witch or Wizard would do anything to prevent their Muggle Husband or Wife from suspecting that they or their child was a Witch or Wizard, all of this was fine with Lucius who would rather that magic be confined to Pure Blood Practitioners but there was something about this girl...This Tori, Lucius could feel it when her anger had flared at Cole, she was a Witch and a powerful undirected one at that

Tori liked to telephone her mother at least twice a week, Lucinda hated London and lived a quiet mountain village in Italy, the following evening Tori was curled up on the sofa with Kala talking to Lucinda.

"I had the dream again last night mum"

" I keep telling you darling it's only a dream and I really have no idea where it comes from." Lucinda chewed her bottom lip during the short pause.

" Why won't you tell me about my father, you never talk about him, not ever, please tell me something about him, I can't remember."

"I have told you Tori, he wasn't a very nice man, he was cruel and hurtful and only cared about himself."

" Dont you have anything nice to say about him."

Lucinda sighed and ran her fingers through her blonde hair. " I suppose he loved you in his way."

" Tell me his name."

"NO! Darling please, I just can't, I can't risk telling you anything about him, please believe me, it can only lead to bad things"

Tori could sense her mothers panic and turned the subject to mundane things like work and the weather, a little while later they said their goodbyes and love you's and Tori went to make herself some hot chocolate.

She sat at the kitchen table and as usual pondered her mothers reaction, everytime she mentioned her father her mother would sound so frightened she would always drop the subject to save her the distress, Tori guessed that he had been a married man, but there was something else, fear, Tori thought about the dream and although she couldn't really see his face she could see his black clothes. Suddenly! Tori realised something, not clothes, like robes, she thought about Lucius Malfoy and wondered.


	2. Chapter 2

ECHOES OF THE PAST

CHAPTER TWO.

"Tori! Hello Tori!... The office is burning down."

"Huh?"

"Where on earth are you? You have been sitting there in a dream since you got in this morning and Sid is giving you the evil eye."

Tori shook herself out of her reverie. "Sorry Ali, I have got something on my mind I just can't shake."

"You don't say! Oh gawd look out!"

Sidney Cole came out of his office, "Victoria, can I have a word please?"

Tori followed him into his office. "I'm sorry Mr Cole, I am not having the best of days but I will make up the time later."

"Always excuses Victoria, frankly I am getting sick of it." He sidled up to her and brushed her arm. " If you can't be a little more co-operative your future in my employ is at risk."

Fury boiled in the pit of Tori's stomach but she smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry Mr Cole, I promise I will try harder."

"Good girl." He said caressing her bottom. "We will talk more later but I am expecting Mr Malfoy to call soon so off you go and make me some coffee."

Lucius Malfoy was coming to the office again, a ripple of anticipation started in Tori's stomach. "No problem Mr Cole." She said leaving his office and heading for the kitchen.

She was leaning against the sink waiting for the kettle to boil when Lucius made his usual regal entrance, he made immediate eye contact with her through the small kitchen window and she felt her face flush, he saw and smiled slightly at her discomfort, she made the coffee and put an extra cup on the tray, this time she laid the tray down on Ali's desk and straightened her hair slide before she knocked at Cole's office door. "Come in!" Cole shouted. Ali shook her head and smiled as Tori picked up the tray and stuck her tongue out at her. Tori smiled nervously at the two men as she entered the office and laid the coffee on the desk without incident.

Tori sat down at her desk and logged onto her computer, her nimble fingers soon caught her up as far as the filing was concerned and she only looked up half an hour later as Lucius was preparing to depart. He shook Cole's hand with his leather gloved hand. "As it is your personal assistants day off perhaps your charming secretary might show me out?" Cole scowled "Victoria! Why don't you show Mr Malfoy to the door"

Tori had the distinct impression that they had been discussing her and she felt more then a little uncomfortable as she stood up to show Lucius out.

Lucius followed her downstairs fighting the urge to pull the silver ornament from her glossy black hair and pull her close, she smelt faintly of strawberries and fine red wine, it was intoxicating and his manhood stirred in his pants, she turned around and smiled at him as they reached the door.

"Goodbye Mr Malfoy, we shall no doubt see you soon."

" Very Soon." He replied "If you will do me the honour of having dinner with me this evening to talk over a business proposition I have for you."

"Me?" Tori responded in surprise.

" Please dear lady, just say yes and I can assure you you will not regret it."

Tori thought about the microwave meal and the night in front of the TV she had been planning and smiled at Lucius. "I would love to, thank you Mr Malfoy."

" Please do call me Lucius." He said removing his right glove to take her hand and kiss it lightly.

Tori gave him her address and said goodbye, she loved older men they were just so charming, she seemed to float upstairs and sat back down at her desk with a dreamy look on her face.

"Tell me he just didn't ask you out and you said yes." Said Ali. "He's married you know, the wife might be a serial killer or a bunny boiler."

" It's just dinner Ali, he's charming and handsome and I am sick of my four tiny walls and never doing anything."

" Good luck then babe, just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves the spectrum wide open then doesn't it." She said ducking as Ali threw a pen at her.

The bed was piled high with assorted clothing as Tori desperately searched for something suitable to wear, she didn't want to look like a slut nor did she want to look like some down trodden old spinster, in the end she settled for an figure skimming black shift dress, then she could not decide if she should wear her hair up or down, in the end she settled on up and used the best part of a pack of grips to pile it on top of her head. Too severe she thought studying her reflection, and pulled some strands free to frame her face, she had just put on her favourite pair of black heels when the doorbell rang, her stomach turned a somersault and she went to let Lucius in.

" Oh my! How pretty you look." Lucius was dressed in a very sharp black suit, Armani Tori guessed,

"You look very suave yourself Lucius, please do come in."

Tori noticed he still had the silver topped cane he seemed to take everywhere with him, he stepped through her front door and scrutinised her tiny living room. "Sorry" She said. "It's not much but it's home. Kala!"

Tori rushed to scoop Kala up, she was laying almost flat to the ground with her ears and tail down, hissing and spitting at Lucius. "I'm sorry Lucius, I don't know what on earth is wrong with her, she is usually so friendly."

"Perhaps it's me, I'm afraid I am more of a dog man,"

Tori put Kala in the kitchen and closed the door, back in her sitting room Lucius was studying a large painting of a Gothic building on her wall with a quizzical expression on his face, Tori smiled. "Do you like it?" She asked.

"A little abstract for my taste but it is strangely familiar."

"My mother painted it."

"Do you know where this is." He asked.

"I think it came from my mothers vivid imagination."

Lucius couldn't be sure but to him it looked suspiciously like Hogwarts. "So your mother is an artist?"

Tori nodded. " Mainly scenery from her home in Italy, she sells it to tourists but I don't think that one is Italy, just between you and me I stole this one from her attic while she was on holiday, it's part of a collection she hides away, she calls it her practising period, she never looks at them so she won't miss it."

"Shall we go?" Lucius asked.

Tori picked up her black wrap and evening bag and took his arm.

She wasn't surprised to find that they were eating in the private dining room of one of the most exclusive restaurants in London, one of those with no prices displayed, because if you had to ask you couldn't afford it.

"I hope you don't mind?" Lucius asked. "I cant bear eating with M..." He almost said Muggles but pulled himself back just in time. "Members of the general public."

Tori smiled as the waiter seated them, she shook her head. "No this is lovely."

They made general chit chat during the starter course and during the main course Lucius dismissed the waiter and made sure they were alone.

"So Lucius you haven't told me exactly what it is you do."

"I don't really do much of anything, I suppose I am what people call independently wealthy, I invest my money wisely and I have...shall we say, political ambitions." He waited until she had taken a mouthful of the pasta dish she had ordered before he added "And I am a Wizard"

Tori as he predicted chocked on the pasta and he poured her a glass of water, she drank some looked at him wide eyed. "Like in Vegas you mean?"

"No like this I mean." Tori jumped as he withdrew his wand from it's home in the cane and was about to run out the door. "Wait!" He commanded and she watched in incredulous disbelief as her wrap floated around her back and draped over her shoulders. "Please don't be afraid, come and sit back down, we have much to discuss."

"There are no such things as Wizards." Said Tori. "It's only in story books and movies"

"You don't believe there is fact in all fiction?" Lucius took a sip of wine.

Tori shook her head.

"You yourself are a witch." He said calmly

"Right! That's it, I am going home, that is the last time I go to dinner with anyone who associates with Sid the slime."

Lucius smiled at the implied insult. "Come! You know, the other day in the office when you lost your temper and Mr Cole ended up with the contents of the coffee pot in his lap, it can't be the only time something like that has ever happened to you."

Tori turned back from the door and sat warily back down in her chair with her mouth agape. She remembered Jack her sleaze of an ex boyfriend who dumped her by email, she had bumped into him a couple of months later and wasn't really shocked that he had gained 50lbs and the worst case of acne she had ever seen, she wasn't really surprised because things that she wished for generally happened, but that wasn't magic it was just fate, wasn't it? Lucy Bates at school who found herself locked in the girls toilet for the weekend when she had stolen her date for the school prom, Mr Callas her form teacher who's hair turned bright green when he told her to remove her make-up because she looked like a tramp, he had to shave it all off and it came in turquoise, the thought made her smile and Lucius said "It can be fun, can't it." Tori wondered if he could read her mind and picked up her wine glass and took a very long gulp. She picked up his wand which he had laid on the table. "Be careful." He warned. Tori could feel the heat in her hands, like she had picked up a living thing, it pulsated as if it had a heartbeat, she waved it like an amateur magician and Lucius ducked as a large ceramic plate flew off the wall and almost hit him on the head, Tori caught it deftly and laid the wand down carefully and placed the plate back on the wall.

"Would you like to return to your apartment and we can discuss this in private.?"

Tori nodded hesitantly, she was both intrigued and terrified at the same time. Lucius picked up her wrap which had fallen off her shoulders and stood very close to her as he draped it over her shoulders again, he sheathed his wand and picked up Tori's bag and handed it to her, he paid the bill and they left the restaurant.

Tori went to hail a cab but Lucius caught hold of her arm and pulled her into the shadows of a narrow alley. "Hold me tight." He said. "What?" "Put your arms around me and hold on tight." Tori did as he asked and suddenly she got the impression that she was spinning around, there seemed to be no air and she hid her face in Lucius's neck. When she opened her eyes she was standing in her living room.

"It's quite safe to let go now." Said Lucius depositing her lightly on the sofa.

"I need a drink." Tori went to the kitchen to fetch a bottle of wine and was nearly bowled over by Kala who ran spitting and hissing towards Lucius he put up his hand and Kala backed off, slinking behind the sofa.

"What did you do to her." Tori asked returning with a bottle of red wine and two glasses.

"Just a simple charm to tame the savage beast." Lucius smiled. Tori handed him a glass of the wine she had poured.

"Probably not up to your usual standard but it won't poison you."

"Are you sure?" Lucius joked taking a sip.

"So, about this witch thing, you really think I am."

Lucius but down his glass. "Come here." He said.

Tori approached him warily, he stood up and put his hand on her right shoulder and manoeuvred her in front of him, he pulled out his wand and Tori jumped involuntarily he placed her right hand over his right wand hand and pulled her close to him around her waist with his left arm. "Now concentrate." He whispered in her ear, pointing his wand at the planter in the corner of the room and they both jumped as it not only shattered but disintegrated into a cloud of dust. Lucius could feel the power pulsating through him and it took his breath away, he felt if The Dark Lord were in the room now he could challenge even him.

"I want you to come and work for me." Said Lucius sitting down in the armchair and pulling it over to face her closely.

"Thank you Lucius but I have a job."

"And you do love it so." Lucius mocked.

"Work for you doing what?" Tori asked taking a sip of her wine.

"Various tasks but more then this Victoria I can teach you so much about yourself, you can be so much more then this lowly secretary working for a man with the intelligence of a Mountain Troll."

"A what!"

"Just one of the many things I could teach you, I want you to come and live in my home, I have a vast collection of everything you need to learn to be a most powerful witch, come and discover my world Victoria, you will soon realise it is where you belong, I promise you will not regret it."

The phone rang suddenly and made Tori jump again, she picked it up, it was her mother.

"Have you been out darling."

"Yes mum, I went to dinner."

"Ooh! Is he nice?"

"He's not a boyfriend Mum." She said smiling up at Lucius. "He is one of Mr Cole's clients who wants to steal me away."

"You should accept." Lucinda told her. "Couldn't be any worse then working for that man you loathe"

"You know mum, you are so right." She looked at Lucius. "I think I will accept."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

Narcissa Malfoy stood with her back to the large patio window in the library of Malfoy Manor.

"No Lucius! Absolutely not...not again."

Lucius was leaning casually with arms folded against the large ornate desk.

"Narcissa my dear, you seem to be under the impression that I am asking you, this is merely for your information, the girl is moving in tomorrow, her name is Victoria and this is an entirely different situation from...the last time."

"What about Draco?"

"What about him?"

He is home for the Summer next week, does he really have to be confronted with one of your playthings?"

"Narcissa I have explained to you, the girl is a witch and one of some ability if I am not mistaken, ability that I intend to..."

"Exploit?"

"On the contrary, nurture."

"And what will happen when when you tire of her? It is so difficult to dispose of them, you know what happened last time? If it had not been for Barty Crouch you would be languishing in Azkaban now."

"How was I to know the girl was so fragile? Most people can stand more then five minutes of the cruciatus curse."

Narcissa turned to face the window so Lucius could not see the look of disgust on her face, she had been quite fond of the girl despite the fact she was sharing her husband with her, she had been a bright and confident little thing until Lucius had broken her, Barty Crouch had taken her lifeless body into the forbidden forest so her death was blamed on Werewolves.

Lucius came behind her and kissed the right side of her neck which he knew aroused her, she tilted her head to the left as he moved his hands down to her breasts and roughly ripped open the black silk camisole she wore.

"Lucius I..."

"Shh." He slipped his hands inside her lace bra and caressed her breasts, rolling her nipples between his finger and thumb, removing his right hand he unzipped her long black skirt which fell to the floor, she whimpered as he put his hand inside her panties and rubbed his finger against her to check her arousal.

"You don't mind really my darling do you." He said his left hand still playing with her nipple as his right found her clitoris moving his finger in circles over it and bringing her to the point of ecstasy.

"Lucius please." She said huskily.

"Are you nice and ready for me my darling? All you have to do is tell me you don't mind and I can give you what you need."

Narcissa was almost insane with desire and screamed at him.

"Keep her in the West Wing out of my sight. Now DO IT!"

Lucius removed his left hand from her breast and released his now painful erection from it's restrictive home, he ripped Narcissa's panties off in one swift stroke and pulled her over to the desk, he bent her over and entered her urgently from behind, Narcissa screamed her relief as he further tortured her by moving slowly in and out of her, he slapped her sharply as she tried to move to satisfy herself and gradually increased his thrust as the need for relief overtook him, Narcissa's legs almost gave way as her orgasm racked her body two more eager thrusts and Lucius came bending over her as his orgasm subsided. Narcissa turned her head looking through the curtain of his blonde hair. Damn him! He was such an expert she only hoped the girl...Victoria appreciated it.

Lucius re-dressed himself and Narcissa sighed as she looked at the ripped remains of her silk camisole and got out her wand to repair it turning around to face Lucius she stepped back into her skirt and fastened it up, she walked towards him, wand in hand, he fixed his eyes on her breasts and she pointed her wand sharply into his breast bone, drawing it down to the front of his pants she lifted his chin with her free hand so he would make eye contact with her.

"She stays in the West Wing and I don't care what you do during the day but I want you back in our bed at night."

"Of course Narcissa."

"Draco sees nothing, he is upset enough by the Potter boy turning up last term."

Lucius stroked her face. "The girl may be able to help me in my plan to get rid of the boy and aid in the return of the Dark Lord."

Narcissa turned to leave and find some fresh clothes.

"Oh Narcissa?"

"Yes Lucius."

"There is a cat, perhaps the creature can keep company with your animals, it seems to dislike me for some reason."

"Lovely! Not only to I have to share my husband with her I have to care for her cat which is obviously a creature of good taste."

Tori was having problems too.

"I'm sorry Mr Cole but Mr Malfoy wants me to start work for him tomorrow and this is all the notice I can give you."

"Well Victoria it's not really good enough, as stated in your contract I require a months notice but as it is Mr Malfoy who wants to avail himself of your services I don't really have much choice do I?"

Cole went over and pulled down the blind obscuring the view of the reception area, Tori gulped as he put his arms around her running them down the sides of her body nuzzling her neck.

"I can see to it that you don't lose any of your holiday pay nor anything else you may be owed." He whispered.

Tori's anger exploded and she turned on him.

"Get your filthy, stinking hands off of me you dirty pervert." She screamed at him as the cord from the window blind wrapped itself around his neck pulling tighter and tighter until his eyes were almost popping out of his head, he clawed furiously at his neck but the cord drew tighter, Tori started to panic as Cole turned blue.

"STOP!" She shouted, and the cord returned to its original state, Cole was on his knees gasping for breath as Tori opened the office door.

"Goodbye Mr Cole, I can't say it has been a pleasure."

Tori went to her desk and collected her things together.

"Are you leaving now?" Ali asked her.

"Yes! I can't stand to look at that man for another second."

"Are you sure you are doing the right thing Tori?"

"No! But working for Lucius is 100 times more preferable, you do know that if it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have stayed her longer then a week."

Alison stood up and drew her into a hug. "Please take care, there is something strange about Lucius Malfoy and I don't exactly trust him."

Tori smiled, she had got the strange part right!

Ali took a step back and looked at her with serious brown eyes. "You know where I am, just call me if you need me."

"I do and I will. Goodbye Ali, see you soon."

She left the office for the last time with a smile on her face and an uncertain feeling in her gut.


	4. Chapter 4

Quite early next morning Tori found herself outside the entrance to Malfoy Manor thanks to Lucius producing something called a Port Key, she had never felt so sick in all her life and she landed painfully on her bottom, Kala shrieking as the cat carrier upended, Lucius offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet.

"I am sorry Victoria, not the most dignified way to travel I'm afraid but in time I will teach you others."

"Don't you have a broomstick?" She joked.

"Not since I was ten and then only for Quidditch."

"What's Quidditch?"

"Ah you have so much to learn!"

Just then the door opened and one of the Malfoy's House Elf's appeared to help with Tori's luggage Lucius waited for a reaction that never came.

"Aren't you curious?" He asked

"About what?"

Lucius indicated Prissy who was one of Narcissa's maids.

"House Elf." Said Tori, she should have been shocked and she couldn't understand why she wasn't. Lucius put it down to the fact that she had seen and heard so many things in the last few days that must seem beyond strange to her and this was just one more thing, her use of the term House Elf perplexed him slightly but he shrugged it off and ushered her into the house.

Holding tight to the cat carrier Tori followed behind Lucius and Prissy to the west wing of the house. "Are you sure this is OK with Mrs Malfoy? Most woman I know would have something to say about their husband bringing home a strange woman to live in their house."

"This is my house Victoria, my wife has no say in whom I choose to employ or ask to stay."

After what seemed like a very long walk they arrived outside a large oak door, Lucius pushed it open and Prissy took Tori's bags inside. "This is your room." He said.

"Wow! Do you know my whole apartment would fit in here?"

"You like it?"

Like! The bed was huge and ornately carved with the most beautiful emerald green sheets the whole room was decorated in similar shades highlighted in gold and large windows either side of the bed offered a view of beautiful gardens and a lake and Tori discovered the en-suite bathroom had a bath large enough to swim in.

"I don't know what to say Lucius, it's beautiful, I love it."

"Then I will leave you to unpack and settle in, perhaps you would join me for dinner later?"

"Will Mrs Malfoy be there?"

"Alas no! My wife has other plans for this evening, I will send Prissy to direct you to my study, we can have dinner there and I will run through a list of your duties and perhaps show you some of my little collection that may interest you."

"Thank you Lucius, that would be lovely."

A week later, sitting at her desk in the cosy study Lucius worked from Tori reflected on the fact that of the five secretarial jobs she had had, this was definitely the strangest. She wrote a lot of letters for Lucius, not on a computer mind you! With a quill and ink like in the Charles Dickens stories she had read in school, it took a bit of getting used to but she was getting there. Most of the letters went to a place called The Ministry Of Magic or Hogwarts which she found out was the school that the Malfoy's son Draco went to. Lucius told her about Hogwarts and explained there were similar establishments around the world.

"Maybe they don't have one in Italy." She said. She had lived there with her mother since she was a baby, only moving to London [much to her mothers distress] three years ago.

Lucius asked her a lot of questions about her childhood and growing up, it was strange but she hadn't realised before how much she had forgotten, as for the magic he was teaching her about various spells and charms, they were simple and fun but she could sense that they were child's play for Lucius, they had been together a lot and she was beginning to get a sense of exactly how powerful he was.

He was nothing but kind to her but she was a little shocked at how he treated the house elves and Kala avoided him running for cover as soon as he entered the room. She thought it was strange that she hadn't even met Mrs Malfoy yet but Lucius kept her busy and if it were a choice between working for him or Sidney Cole, Lucius was infinitely preferable.

Her musings were interrupted by Prissy, the little house elf who had brought her some lunch.

"Is Mr Malfoy at home Prissy?"

"No Miss Victoria, he has gone to Diagon Alley."

"Where on earth is Diagon Alley?"

"It is a place of magic miss, sure Mr Malfoy will take you there soon."

"Thank you Prissy, it was kind of you to bring my lunch."

Prissy looked shocked as she always did, Tori got the impression that thank you were words that weren't spoken to her very often.

Lucius meantime was in the gloomy surroundings of Borgin and Burkes.

"Beautiful is it not Mr Malfoy?"

Lucius looked up from the black velvet cloth opened up in front of him then back down to the stunning solitaire blue diamond necklace, sparking brilliantly even in the poor light of the shop.

"It should suit your purpose very well." Said Borgin, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "A diamond of this quality will hold a curse indefinitely."

"How much?" Lucius enquired.

"For a valued customer such as yourself Mr Malfoy." He scribbled a figure on the pad in front of him and proffered it to Lucius. The figure made even him raise is eyebrows slightly but he held out a leather gloved hand to Borgin. "I will take it." He said.

Leaving the shop Lucius looked around to ensure that none of the snoopers from the Ministry Of Magic were lurking nearby, it was getting beyond ridiculous that one couldn't shop in peace without some Ministry Minion sticking their nose in, only a matter of time before they start raiding the homes of individuals they suspected of using dark magic Borgin had warned him with a knowing look on his weasel like face. Lucius contemplated his security arrangements perhaps it may be time to strengthen concealment charms around the manor especially considering what he intended doing with the necklace now in his possession.


End file.
